Annunciator for checkers or similar games.



A. NELSON.

ANNUNGIATOR FOR OHECKERS 0R SIMILAR GAMES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16,1907.

927,583. Patented July 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

In ZZZ/022, J2 Z5070 A. NELSON.

ANNUNOIATOR FOR GHEGKERS OR SIMILAR GAMES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT,16,1907.

927,583, Patented July 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' fliior e UNITED STATES ANTHONY NELSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

NNUNGIATQR non cnncmsns 0R srMILAReAMEs.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filcd' September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,050.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY cltiz'en of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State- I My invention relates to annunciators for 10 checkers and similar games. Its object is to reproduce upon an illuminated board themovements and positions of the men upon a checker board. It may be used either to exhibit to an audience the plays made by contestants in an actual game, or for advertising purposes to conspicuously reproduce an automatic game.

lln the drawings Figure 1 is a plan of my checker board and annu'nciator; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical. connections between parts of the board and annunciator; Fig. 3 is a detail in central vertical section of one of the squares of the annun'ciator'; Fig. 4 is a detail partly in cross section showing one of the men in place a square of the checker board; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of two checkers, showing each in obverse and reverse osition; Fig, 6 is an elevation of one o the men used upon my checker board.

In the drawings A is the checker board and B the annunci'atorwhich displays the varying moves of the men. The arrangement of the squares on both the board and annunciator is the same as that on an ordinar checker board. vThe annunciator will ordinarily be placed vertical position. so that the lays may be seen by a larger num ber of observers and at' a greater distance than would be possible upon the horizontal board A.

O is a dynamo or other source "of electrical current; D the main switch, and E the wires connecting the board andannunciator.

Cylindrical depressions 1 are formed in each playin square of the checker board, large enoug to freel receive the checkers 2 as they are moved rom square to square. The floor of each .depression lris provided with a central main electrical terminal 3, and four branch terminals 4, 4;, 5 and 5, the main terminal 3 bein electrically con nected with the wire 6 which forms a circuit through the source of electrical supply O and thence to the switch D. The terminals NELSON, a

- square of the annunciator,

4:, 4', 5 and 5 are likewise severally connected by branch wires 7 with electric lamps hereinafter described in the squares 8 of the annunciator, and with the switch D. Both the obverse and reverse faces of thecheckers are provided with radial strips 9 (of brass or similar material) adapted when in place upon the board to electrically connect the central terminal 3 with one of the branch-- terminals in the floor of the de ression' 1. Thus in Fig. 5, 10 represents the o verse side of a' checker to be used by one player and 10 its reverse. side; 11 represents the ob verse side of a checker to be usedby the contesting player and 11 its reverse side. In other words, all the men used by one layer will have the strips applied as shown in- 10I0' While his adversary will use checkers with strips as shown in 1111'. When one of these checkers is placed in a depression upon the square of a checker board it forms a plu connects the circuit w ich lights a lamp of predetermined color upon the annunciator. The checker 10 when placed in a square will connect the terminal 3 with the terminal 4 and when. said checker has been moved into the king row it may be reversed to the-positionshown at 10 and will then electrically connect the terminal 3 with the terminal 4:.

and the brass strip In like manner the checker 11 in a'ccordance with the way in which it is placed upon the board will connect the terminal 3 with the terminal 5 or 5.

lin eachof the squares upon the annun ciator four electrical lamps 12, 12', 13 and- 13" are arranged which are respectively in circuit with the terminals 4, 4:, 5 and 5 in the corresponding square of. the checker board. These lamps may be of different colors, or two shades of two difierent colors may be used. Thus to indicate the men of one side li ht blue may be used, while dark blue is use for the kings, and the opposing men may be light red while the kings are dark red. Assumin these colors, the placing of a checker 10 III a given square of the checker board with its face up may illuminate the light blue lamp in the corresponding while if the same piece is reversed (as 10) it will light the dark blue lamp. Similarly, if the checker 11 is placed in a square with its face up, the light red lamp will be lighted in the corresponding square of the annunciator and if the same checker is reversed the dark red lamp will be lighted. It will thus be seen that when the game begins, if the men are in the initial position assumed in the game of checkers, twelve light blue lamps will be lighted on one side of the annunciator and twelve light red lamps upon the opposite side, and as the moves progress and checkers are advanced upon the board the changes will be indicated by corresponding lights upon the annunciator, while as they are removed the lamps will become dark, or if they reach the king row and are reversed,

darker tints of the original colors will be shown in the proper squares of the annun- ClZLlZOI. To secure accuracy in placing the checkers in the squares, to make the electrical connections above described, each checker is provided with a button 14: adapted to fit into a recess 15 in the side of the depressions 1.

trical annunciator having squares arranged to correspond with those upon the checker board, each square of the annunciator being provided with a plurality of electric lamps of different colors, the squares of said checker board being provided with main and branch terminals, electrical connections between said lamps and terminals, and

checkers having radial strips of electrical conductor adapted to bridge said main and branch terminals. v

2. In a device of the classdescribed, a checker board, having depressions in its squares, in combination with an annunciator provided with party-colored lamps arranged to correspond with the squares of a checker board, electric connections between said an nunclator and board, terminals laced in said depressions and checkers having radial bridges on both sides adapted when in place to connect said terminals in an electric circuit with the lamps of the annunciator.

3: In a device of the class described, the

combination of a source of electrical supply,

an annunciator, and a checker board, connections between said parts, lamps for the annunciator, terminals for the checker board, and checkers provided on both faces with bridges for connecting the terminals and vided with radial bridges adapted to connect said main and branch terminals, in

squares, each of which is provided with electric lamps connected and corresponding in position with the branch terminals of the checker board.

5. In a device of the class described, an electrical annunciator having squares arranged like a checker board, a plurality of electric lamps in each of said squares, a source of electric supply for said lamps, a checker board having cylindrical depressions in each of its squares, a plurality of electrical terminals in each of said depressions, electrical connections between said terminals and'said lamps and checkers provided with radial bridges adapted to diversely connect two of said terminals and thereby illuminate the lamps in said annunciator;

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

M. G. LIoH'rscHEmL, W. H. WILLIAMS.

combination with an annunciator having 

